Slide fastener attachment



March 22, 1938. N, L ETTEN SLIDE FASTENER ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 3. 1955 lNvEN'L-En;

Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES SLIDE FASTENER ATTACHMENT Nicholas L. Etten, Waterloo, Iowa Application September 1 laim.

This invention has reference to improvements in slide fastener devices and has for its object to provide, in connection with a conventional slide fastener, a means for locking the slide member thereof in position after the same has been placed to close the fastener, to prevent accidental or undesired movement of the slider member to open the fastener.

Slide fasteners are well known and are used for many purposes where it is desired to accomplish quick and eflicient closures on, for example, sweaters, mens trousers, womens clothing and the like.

In applying slide fasteners to various uses it is customary to so arrange them that the sliding member rests at the upper end of the closure when the fastener is in closed condition and in a lowered position when the same is open.

In other words, when it is desired to close the fastener the slider member is slid upwardly and conversely, when it is desired to open the fastene the slider is slid downwardly.

It will be apparent that with the slider in elevated position, it is disposed so as to be acted upon by gravity to tend to slide downwardly to open the closure and this movement is promoted and assisted by flexing, pulling, multitudinous other movements and those of adjacent garments, to which such closure devices are commonly subjected.

Thus the object of my invention is to provide means for preventingunwanted opening movements as above noted.

An embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are fractional elevational or perspective views showing a pair of mens trousers with a slide fastener applied for closing the front thereof, with the ap or cover portion broken away to expose the device.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional side elevational views showing several applications of my locking device which will be referred to in the following description.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the upper portion of a pair of trousers having the conventional body portion I0, waist band II and belt loops I2.

The waist band may be 'provided with the conventional button and buttonhole fastening I3 and I4 whereby the ends o f the band are fastened.

Ihe front opening of the trousers is provided with conventional slide fastener mechanism consisting of a series of interlocking hooks I5 adapted 3, 1935. serial No.' 38,931

to be hooked or unhooked by means of operation thereon of a slider member I6.

Devices of this class and their functioning are thought sufficiently well known to obviate detail description vfurther than to say that with the 5 slider I6 disposed as shown in Fig. 2 the fastener is open, whereas when the slider is slid upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 the front opening is automatically closed and the hooks I5 are locked in such a manner as to retain the front 10 opening closed.

It will be apparent that with the slider I6 in the position of Fig. 1 the front opening will remain closed only so long as the slider I6 remains in its upper position. Should the slider, for any l5 reason, move downwardly, the portion of hool I6 above it would lie unhooked.

SinceA commercial slide fasteners of the type here considered are quite nicely made, so as to operate smoothly and easily, it is apparent that a slider without the complementary fastener 20, when placed as in Fig. 1 and the device is subjected to the multitudinous movements common to clothing, is quite likely to move downwardly to permit unlocking of perhaps only a few of the hooks I6, whereupon the unhooked part spreads open and thereby promotes further movement of the slider, a continuation of which movement eventually permits full opening of the fastener.

In order to prevent such occurrence I provide means shown best in Figs. 3 to 6, wherein the slider is shown in elevated position as it is in Fig. 1.

In commercial slide fasteners the slider mechanism designated I6, usually consists of a body or sliding portion Il and a loosely attached handle or tab portion I8. By means of the latter the portion I1 is manipulated to open and close the device as described.

Fig. 3 illustrates the portion I8 as carrying one element of a snap fastener designated I9, and a co-operative snap fastener part 20, suitably attached to the trousers, is disposed to receive and retain the portion I8 in elevated position, as will be apparent.

Fig. 3 illustrates in detail the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a modified structure wherein a button is utilized, to be used as and for the purpose of an ordinary button, but which is provided with a snap fastener element to co-operate with the element in portion I8 to hold the latter xed.

Figs. 5 and 6 show an arrangement wherein the button part is absent. A member 24, having an elongated stem. is suitably attached to the fabric as shown and :he overlying portion of the garment is provided with a simple reinforced hole 25 which is placed over the stem to answer the purpose of a button, and the portion I8 is brought up on the outside to snap the portion 23 over the head of member 24. With this latter arrangement the snap device 23 has a dual function, first, to hold the portion I8 in position as described and second, to prevent the outer flap of the garment from becoming disengaged from member 24 The foregoing has disclosed my invention. Modifications of structure are obviously possible without alteration of principle. I donot wish to be limited in structure or function except within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A pair of trousers having a waistband and formed with a fly opening, and said trousers having in combination fastening means for the waistband including a member secured to one end portion thereof and having a stem part provided with a snap fastener element, and the other end portion of the waistband having a, hole therein to be engaged by said stem part, slide fastener closure means for the iiy opening including two rows of interlocking elements, a slide for actuating said interlocking elements, and a hinged pull on the slide, and a snap fastener element on said pull engageable with the snap fastener element f said stem part when the slide has been moved to-eiect closure of the fly opening. 

